1888: New York & Long Island Railroad Company proposes rail tunnel route between Hunters Point, Long Island City (Queens) at 50 Avenue and Grand Central Terminal at 42 Street and Park Avenue in Manhatttan

1892: Groundbreaking for the new tunnel

1903: IRT, headed by August Belmont resumes project

1905: Construction on the tunnel resumes

1907: Steinway Tunnels bored. NY&LI provides trolley service between Long Island City and Grand Central. Tunnel is later closed pending contract sale

1910: PRR completes East River tubes between Penn Station (34 Street) and Long Island City (now Amtrak/LIRR)

1963: R17 cars arrive from Bronx main lines, first R12/14s transferred to IRT Main Line. R17 cars remain in Queens until January 1965 and fill in for departing R12/14/15s until R36 delivery is complete

1964: R36 "World's Fair" cars in turquoise blue debut on the 7, all remaining R12/14/15s are sent to IRT Main Line, the 7 is designated as the "Blue Arrow" route to the 1964 New York World's Fair, Shea Stadium opens

1981-86: R36 and R33 WFs rebuilt (by NYCT/GE/MK/Amtrak), including installation of air conditioning and painting in "all-white" exterior

Late 1980s: R36 and R33 WF cars painted in "Gunn red" (later "Redbird") scheme, local only service between 1985-89 for track and viaduct rehabilitation

1993-97: Queens Boulevard viaduct rehabilitation. All trains made all local stops between 61 Street-Woodside and Queensboro Plaza as one track at a time was out of service (4/5/1993-3/31/1997)